The Marvel Cinematic Universe is well known for getting its characters right. Whether it's the initial casting, the concept art that goes into it, or the performances from the actors, each hero and villain feels like they have been ripped straight from the comic books.
Of course, the costumes also have a huge part to play in all of this. How the characters actually look on-screen will help capture the imagination of audiences. Here are 10 of the best costumes from across the Marvel Cinematic Universe (excluding the TV shows).
10 THOR
The god of thunder's look is pretty iconic. The general design has always been pulled from Norse mythology so there's something from the real world to base the look off of. However, there are plenty of fantastic comic designs to also draw inspiration from.
The various costumes from across the MCU films for Thor have always been top-notch. We're particularly fond of the latest look, with heavy armor and a braided beard. However, the general look of the character has consistently be one of the best.
9 LOKI
Thor's brother, Loki, also benefits from Norse Mythology. But, the character's designs in the film closely resemble the comics rather than anything we can see from history. That striking green color has been one of the most interesting elements of his costumes.
They are often woven with interesting shapes and patterns that make us think of an elaborate tapestry. They are certainly practical and the helmet is one of the best pieces of headgear in all of these costumes; we wish Loki wore it more.
8 IRON MAN
The Iron Man armor was always going to be difficult to adapt. With hundreds of designs, CGI limits and a lot of contrasting ideas of what it should look like, it's incredible that such an amazing suit was created for the very first MCU film.
The Iron Man armor has certainly evolved as this story has progressed. We've moved away from the complicated ways in which it combines together to something sleeker and more nano-tech related. We love that original red and gold suit so much though!
7 HELA
We've already highlighted some of the other Norse gods but we cannot forget about the goddess that essentially brought Asgard to its knees. The goddess of Hell, Hela, is certainly a being that is difficult to match in terms of strength and power.
Her costume reflects her villainous nature and carries the same green that we love on Loki's costume. The headdress actually acts as part of her weaponry which is a great design choice and there is something menacing about the silhouette it produces.
6 CAPTAIN AMERICA
The super-soldier created during WWII has also had a number of different costumes over the past few years. The original tactical military outfit was a work of genius and the stealth suit is one that's still praised to this day. The final incarnation was everything we could have hoped for.
While we know there's been a low point, especially during the battle of New York, the overall concept has worked throughout. It's a costume that now resonates with people and the color scheme, iconic star, and wings across the head, all define this character's look.
5 CAPTAIN MARVEL
The costume for Captain Marvel went through a few variations in her own solo film and looked different again once she had joined the Avengers. The suit is obviously based on the Kree uniform and contained their colors to start with.
After a colorful redesign, the suit is looking far more like it should. It's going to have a lot of longevity to it and there's really no more tweaks that need to be done with this uniform, suggesting that Marvel is onto a winning formula that inspires strength.
4 BLACK PANTHER
The Black Panther has quickly become one of Marvel's most recognizable heroes. The costume, based on ancient Wakandan designs and enhanced with some modern technology, is a great piece of concept and creation from the costume team at Marvel.
We much prefer the original suit that doesn't involve nan0-technology and hopefully we'll move away from the slicker suits once more to something more ceremonial, battle-worn and classic to the comics. There's so much more to be done with an already fantastic costume.
3 DOCTOR STRANGE
The master of the mystic arts deserves a costume that was both based on his comic suit, but also managed to bring some of these difficult elements into the real world. Luckily the magic carpet-esque cloak and magical clothing help bring this look together.
We love the version of the costume with the brown gloves, by the way, and we really hope they make a comeback. It's also a shame that the infinity stone has been removed from the suit because the Eye of Agamotto was perfect to finish off this suit.
2 BLACK WIDOW
The Black Widow costume is getting a major upgrade with the White Widow look that we think takes this concept to a whole new level. The original Black Widow costume that she debuted in left a lot to be desired and we were worried about the overall look.
However, the costume has developed into something tactical, sleek and menacing. The suit has a lot of different gadgets, it's perfect for stealth missions and is a great representation of what we see in the comics. Plus, it features that black widow symbol.
1 CROSSBONES
The famous villain that once helped to kill Cap in the comics made a big debut in the MCU, although he didn't last long. However, before he died we got to see the classic Crossbones look transferred over to the big screen, and we didn't expect it to be so good.
While the normal comic costume was only a slight inspiration, the tactical armor really worked in the context of the film. Of course, we also got the actual white Crossbones logo that we were waiting for and the suit itself helped to fight off Cap himself.